Can All Black-conquering Ireland back it up to regain their crown as Six Nations champions?

Ireland surrended their title to England last year, but if all goes according to plan a Six Nations Grand Slam shootout will take place in Dublin on the final weekend

Rory Best and Joe Schmidt will want to get their hands back on the Six Nations trophy this year (Getty)

Grand Slam champions in 2009, back-to-back champions in 2014 and 2015, so is this the year Ireland restores their place at the top of the Northern Hemisphere tree? If the world rankings are anything to go by, they’ll be in the mix come the end of the Six Nations, but there’s a long, long way to go before then.

The fixture list has thrown up a gem of a finale as Joe Schmidt’s Ireland welcome England to the Aviva Stadium in ‘Super Saturday’s’ final match, the fourth-ranked side going up against the second.

Schmidt’s side also have one big accolade already in their pocket, a victory over New Zealand within the last three months. England will argue that they did not play the All Blacks in the autumn, but the fact that Ireland turned over the best team in the world will not be forgotten easily by any team that goes up against the Irish over the next seven weeks.

But forget England, forget the All Blacks and focus on the opening weekend, one that will prove pivotal for the Men In Green. Scotland away at Murrayfield is not an opening fixture that many teams will dream of, and with a trip to Cardiff also on the cards this year, Ireland’s path to the title is littered with warning signs before they get to the anticipated visit of England to Dublin.

Scotland have more than enough in the talent locker to turn over Ireland if they are not at their best, and Ireland need to show a distinct improvement on last year’s showing that saw them suffer defeats by England and France, grind out a draw with Wales and endure a frantic final clash with Scotland for the second year running.

They will also head to Edinburgh without the fly-half, Jonathan Sexton, who will sit out the opening fixture but should return for the trip to Rome in week two. Sexton has run the Irish backline for the last six years, so Paddy Jackson of Ulster will have big shoes to fill against the Scots.

Schmidt is also unable to call on the services of Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony, though his absence through a minor hamstring injury will be less felt thanks to the plentiful back-row options at Schmidt’s disposal in CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier and fit-again Sean O’Brien.

Should they survive the trips to Edinburgh and Rome and see off what still isn’t a daunting-looking French side, Ireland’s second big test comes around as they make the short journey to Cardiff to take on a Wales side they have not being in the last two attempts. Ireland and Wales combined have won four of the last five Six Nations championships, and the last time Wales were under the guidance of Rob Howley – and not Warren Gatland – in 2013, they overcame a home defeat by Ireland to go on and win the title.

Ireland should make much of the running throughout the tournament as long as they avoid any early nerves on the opening weekend, and if they avoid any further injuries to key players in the front-row and half-back pairing, then don’t be surprised to see them hold up their end of the deal for a Grand Slam showdown.